What You Should Know

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz

32nd Senatorial District, Bronx County, New York

Tel. 718-991-3161

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

This proverbial expression dates from the early 19th Century, although versions of it that paraphrased the same though existed well before then.

The first of these alternate versions is found in a biography of Marcus Aurelius by Jeremy Collier and André Dacier, titled Emperor Marcus Antonius his conversation with himself, 1708:

“You should consider that Imitation is the most acceptable part of Worship, and that the Gods had much rather Mankind should Resemble, than Flatter them.”

As you know, the title of my weekly and sometimes daily column, “What You Should Know,” is where I inform my constituents and the general public of those things, good and bad, that happen in the New York State Senate and in the political circus of New York State.

You should know that my column has become one that many people are seeking to read, to the point that I am constantly stopped by people asking me to put them on my mailing list so they can receive my “What You Should Know.” Many people, reporters and other elected officials have been using similar words imitating my title “What You Should Know.”

But my biggest surprise and compliment of them all is when I read a mailer sent by the Leader of the New York State Democratic Conference, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins to her constituents, where she entitled it “What You Should Know About New York’s New Minimum Wage Law.” See the attached document.

Many people before have been telling me that I should register and copyright this title before someone else takes it. I never took it that seriously. Now it has come to the point that I have two choices. Either I: (1) register and copyright it so others cannot use it or (2) let everybody keep using it because as I said, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

I am Senator Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.